Stefan and I headed out to the Olympic Peninsula to try Mt Angeles in late
March 2011. We wanted bluebird weather but didn't get it so we did a snowshoe of
Hurricane Hill instead. Then...earlier in the week when Stefan sent out the
email looking for trip partners for Mt Angeles and the weather was looking
great...I and 10 others were eager to join. Up at 5am...drive to R2H to meet the
others near the Edmonds Kingston ferry...wait for the others to arrive...shuffle
gear and passengers...drive to ferry...some walk on...others drive on...meet
Stefan in Kingston...reshuffle (read: thin) the passengers and then it was off
to the park for an alpine start.

We pulled into a wide parking (~4240') area long the road
about 10am. A couple of short car shuttle ferrying
passengers...um...hikers...about 1/2 mile up the road to the start (about 1/4
mile west of the summer TH). Let's see if I can name everyone:

The plan was to start lower along the road and head straight
up for the ridge at and meet up with the trail high up on the ridge at the
junction (~ 5400') to the SW of the summit. Skis and snowshoes on the group
headed straight uphill making efficient elevation gain, about 775' in the first
mile of travel. Steep snow for me. Steepest I've been on in a while. Felt like
a lot of work but felt good. At the first open snowfield below the ridge I
stopped to take some photos...Franklin passed me some sunscreen and the group
watched as his lens cap skitted downhill first like a snow saucer then it was up
on its edge careening downhill before it dove into the trees below. Franklin
headed down to look for it but didn't have any luck finding it. Then it was up
the rest of the ridge where at the junction it was time for a very short break.
First awesome views over to Hurricane Ridge and deeper into the park.

We followed the short little spur trail about 400' and
continued up into the open bowl below Mt Angeles. I arrived to find the
snowshoers in the group dropped the snowshoes to beat a path uphill. Crusty
snow...hmmm...crampons. Yeah...for me a definite. I'm glad I put them on lower.

Stefan (?) lead the way up the *obvious* gulley and the group
follow upwards. About 200' below the summit...the gulley got a little more than
tricky. A few in group transitioned to the rock buttress and managed to scramble
to the top. Most of us began a long 100' downclimb in not very pleasant
conditions. It's not a comfortable feeling being on a few inches of crusted snow
over rock trying to plant an ice axe only to have it bounce off the rock. In the
downclimb section cartman thankfully did a slight detour around the worst
section creating better boot buckets. Thanks!

Ick...My quads were exhausted from the downclimb. Good to know
I still had it in me to do something of this sorts but my legs were tired. I
still had the steep descent. The gully turned out to be the wrong gulley. From
the basin head up but traverse around to the left and a much easier gulley
awaits. The group tells me it was the preferred approach. I headed back down to
the flat area and could see at the party on the summit was celebrating (quite
the party I heard).

Franklin and Carrie did check out a steep gulley system on the
east side, but decided better skiing on the west and ended up following the rest
of the group down, retracing our route up.

Stefan had stashed a scooter (yes...a scooter) and rode back
down to the car. Franklin managed to ski all the way back down to the car and
then drove back up the road offering rides back down to the parking area.
Here...Stefan presented him with the lens cap he lost earlier that morning (he
found it on his way down).

Then it was time to head back up to the visitor center for one
last birthday celebration before heading back home.